Method of electric signaling.



R. A. FESSENDEN. METHOD QP ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

APPLGLTIO` lILED JAN.9,1905,

Patented June 2l, 1910.

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electro-magnetic waves to narran s'rn'rus PATENT REGINALD A. FESSENDEN, OF WASHINGTON, .'DISTRCT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR 'll THE NATIONAL ELECTRIC SIGNALING COMPANY, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,

A. CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

METHOD F- ELECTRIC SIGNALING.

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Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented June 2i, 19ml?.

lTo all whom 'it may concern:

Be .it known that l, RnoINALn A. FassunnaN, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVaShington, District ot' Columbia, have invented a certain new and useful Method of Electric Signaling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to .receivers for signaling by currents or electrmmagnetio waves and has for its object a construction wherein a substance is changed as to one'or more of its characteristics by the action of currents or electro-magnetic Waves and the changed portion is caused to leave the point of change 'and after leaving such point produces or controls the production of an indication.

lt is a further object-ot' the invention to provide for the formation of a constricted conducting Huid path and for the interruption of such path by a change in the' duid, such interruption causing or controlling the production. of an indication, all as hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a sectional elevation'of a form of receiver embodying my improvement; Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views-illustrating modled arrangements of receiving and indicating cir-A cuits.

ln tlie practice of my invent-ion the vessel,

l which is preferably glass hasits upper and lower portions connected by a constricted portion 2 through lwhich a movement ol the substance employed, as for example a solution of nitric acid, may be established. 1n the construction shown this movement of the liquid, which is for the pur ose of causingl `the portion ofthe liquid acted on by the ass through the constricted portion, is pro uced by the dow of' liquid from an elevated receptacle 3 con# nected by a tube 4 to the lower portion of the i vessel 1. An outlet from the upper portion of the vessel is formed by the tube 5 provided with a valve 6 for regulating the rate of liovv of liquid through the constrictcd portion 2. Terminals 7 and 8 of a local circuit Which includes an indicating mechanism 9 and a battery .10, are so located that. the liquid, especially that portion forming the constricted conducting path, will form a part of the local circuit.

TWO terminals 11 and 12, one small and f the other preferably larger, are so arranged with reference to the constricted port-ion i? that the movement of the substance in the vessel 1 will be from the small terminal l1 to and through the constricted portion 2. These terminals may be directly or indirectly connected to the receivin conductor. On the passage of a current tween the terminals 11 and 12 a. portion of the substance contained in the vessel 1 lwill be changed as to one or more of its characterist-ics, e. g. if lthe substance be electrolyzable, a. bubble will be formed at the fine terminal 1l. The portion of the substance thus changed moves or is caused to move away from the tine terminal and so act upon the constricted conducting path as to produce a change in the corre t tiowing through the local circuit. In the case oi? electrolytic action the bubble will float or be carried by the movement of the liquid through the conn stricted portion A2, and thereby breaking the local circuit or so redubing the constructed conducting fluid path as to reduce a mate rial reduction ot current towing through such path. As will vbe readily understood the movement of the portion of the substance acted on, as for example the movement ot bubbles from the ne terminal, may be observed or the movement of the changed portion may control a local circuit contain 1n an i-ndicatinw mechanism.

llectrolysijs Wthich includes the evolution of gas is not ordinarily produced by alternating currents because when the electrodes are large the lilm of oxygen gas produced during the passage' of the positive half oi? the current Wave produces only a thin coating on the electrode, and this film does not contain a suilicient quantity of gas to enable it to form bubbles and to float up 'from the electrode. Consequently on the negative half of the current wave passing and cvolving hydrogen the hydrogen combines with the ox gen, and as a consequence at the end of yeac complete wave the original amount of liquid is reproduced.' Should, however, either one or both terminals be made so small that there is a large amount of? gas per unit of area o the electrode, the gas will not exist. in the form of a thin sheet but in the form of a thick layer u 'hoso buoy ancy will be such that it- Will break away `ficiently fine to permit of electrolysis by the alternating currents produced by electromagnetic waves.

,By makin the surface sufiicientlyv small, even the smal amount of current fiowing at the very beginning of thehal wave may be suflicient" to crowd all the rest of the gas evolved during the main part of the Wave away from the electrode so4 that practically the whole ofthealternating current is etfective in producing electrolysis.

The amountof hydrogen gas evolved from the fine 4terminal -will not generally mean more than vthe amount of? oxygen and in the figure shown both gases will be carried up- Ward by the current of liquid and at some period of time will form a bubble as shown in. the constricted portion 2. When this bubble occupies the position shown the circuit of the local battery 8 will be totally or partially obstructed and an indication will be roduced lby the indicator 9. l

` n addition .to the gas'evolved directly by electrolysis, gas may e evolved by the heating effect of the alternating current waves on the fluid in case the fluid contains a gas. This will also fioat'upward at the same time and will assist to produce an indication.

, A receiver of the type herein described is shown connected. so thatA there will be a con* stantly flowing current between A the electrodes 7 and `Sand a constant evolution of gas which will produce a constant amount of obstructions in the constricted portion 2. When the currents produced by the electromagnetic waves fiow between the terminals 11 and 12, additional gas will be evolved and a change will take place in the amount vof obstructions in the portion 2. This change of obstruction will cause a change of current from the local battery 10 and this change of current ma' 'be made to effect the indicator 9. Fig. 2. s ows a method of connecting the receiver herein shown, 13 being the vertical grounded at a, 14 and 15 being primary and secondary of the transformer, the receiver constructed as described is placed in a tuned circuit containing the coil 15 and condenser 18, 9 bein the indicating mechanism and 10 the localiioattery.

In Fig. 3 is shown an arrangement of circuits whereby the liquid and the.I terminals 11 and 12 form a receiver arranged in operative relation to the receiving conductor 13 and'also in a tuned local circuit including coil' 15 and condenser 18 with the indicator 20. This circuit is preferably closed as shown. In addition to this local circuit a second local circuit similar to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 may be used.

Vhile I have shown and described with some particularity apparatus vapplicable tol the practice of my improved method7 no claim is made herein to such apparatus as the same forms the subject-matter of an 'application Serial No. 294,929,1fi1ed January cth, 190e.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In the art of signaling by electromag- `netic waves7 the method which consists 1n changing the physical state of a liquid conductor by passing electromagnetic currents therethrough, moving the changed portion of the liquid by reason of its changed condition, and producing an indication by reason of variation in the resistance of the liquid 'conductor-due to the changed condition of said portion, substantially as described.

2. In the art of signaling the method herein described which consists in changing the physical state of a portion of a substance by the action oi electro-magnetic waves causing such changed portion to move away from the point of change and thereby effecting a change in the current of a local current in said changed substance. y

3L In the art of signaling the method herein described which consists in causing a current to How through'a local circuit, producing a change by the action of electro-magnetic waves in the physical state of a portion of a substance forming a part of the local circuit and causing the' changed portion of the substance to move from the point of change and thereby vary the currentgin the of electro-magnetic waves an interru tion of.

the flow of current through said pat 5. In the art of signaling the method here in described which consists in causing a current to iiow through a constricted conducting fluid path producing a change in a por-v tion-of the fluid at a point outsideof the constricted path and causing the changed ortion to move into the constricted path and thereby vary the current owing therethrough.

6. In the art of signaling the method herein described which consists in causing a current to flow through an electrolyzable substance, electrolyzing a portion of said substance by a current magnetic waves and uti 1produced by electra' izing motions of they eeaom e eiectrolyzed portion t vary the said first current.

i1 in the art of signaling the method herein described which consists in electro- .yzing a portion ot a substance by the action a signal or indication by its change of posivtion.

9. In rthe art. of: signaling the method herein described which consists in producing a bubble in a body of liquid by the action of electro-magnetic waves and utilizing the movement of said bubble to produce a 'signal or indication.

l0. ln the art of signaling the method herein described which consists in causing a.

l iiqnid to How through a constricted channel, j bubble' in said liquid by the producing a action oif electro-magnetic Waves and causingsaid bubble oo move into" the constricted path.

ll. The method of electric signaling which consists in passing a current through a substance so as to change the physical state of part of the substance, moving the changed part away from its initial position and producing a signal by reason ot altered conductivity in the circuit due to the changed position of said part.

12. The method of electric signaling which consists in passing the current through a liquid togdecompose part of it and form bubbles, moving the said bubbles away from the point of production, and effectin an indication by reason of the motion ot said bubbles.

13. The method of signaling which consists in passing electro-magnetic waves through a liquid to create bubbles, causing the bubbles to move through the liquid, and

operating an indicating instrument by the -etl'ect of such motion of theA bubblesfthrough the liquid, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set niyhand.

REGINALD. FEssENDEN.

Witnesses CHARLES BARNETT, HERBERT BRADLEY. 

